Greys Court – A Tudor Country House

Greys Court, a Tudor country house at Rotherfield Greys near Henley-on-Thames, has a rich history and stunning walled gardens that are beautiful almost all year round. Whether you choose a long walk in the gardens or take a tour of the house – or both – it is a wonderful place to spend the day.

Greys Court History

Greys Court, one of the most beautiful historic houses in Oxfordshire, offers a fascinating glimpse into life across the centuries – particularly among England’s upper class in the twentieth century, but also stretching much further back in time.

Since 1066, five families have lived on this site. The main part of the current house was built during the Tudor era, incorporating structures from the 1450s. Over the years it was updated to reflect Georgian tastes and later underwent Victorian alterations. Unusually for its time, Greys Court has been owned or co-owned by thirteen women, defying historical norms that typically barred women from holding property. Among its notable residents was Catherine Carey, daughter of Mary Boleyn, mistress of Henry VIII (it is thought that Catherine was his daughter) and Evelyn Fleming, the mother of Ian Fleming, author of James Bond.

Greys Courts most recent residents, the Brunner family, moved in during the 1930’s. Lady Brunner, born Elizabeth Irving, was the last matriarch to call Greys Court home. An actress who left her career to raise her four sons, she filled the house with mementoes of her time on stage and screen. Although the Brunners gifted the house to the National Trust in the sixties, Lady Brunner continued to live there until she passed away in 2003. Some of the National Trust volunteers still speak fondly of her.

Today Greys remains much as the Brunners left it, and the National Trust have managed to preserve a warm, lived-in atmosphere. It is easy to imagine children running through the halls and you can almost hear the echo of children’s laughter and a slamming door as they race outside to play. Many of the rooms appear as if the Brunners have simply stepped away and might return at any moment.

The House

Of all the National Trust Properties I have ever visited, this house is the one that feels most like a home to me. This is due in no small part to the kitchen, which is not unlike some of the kitchens I came across when I first moved to England in the 1980’s, albeit in a much more historic setting.

The huge family style kitchen on the ground floor appears relatively modern at first; a vast Aga oven, pink kitchen table and chairs and fabric encircled sinks hark back to the mid to late twentieth century, but impressive wooden dressers and medieval panelling remind you that this kitchen’s history goes back hundreds of years beyond that.

Lady Brunner’s study still has a 1970’s television in it and there are stuffed toys that belonged to her now grown up grandchildren on the window seats. The welcoming, light-filled library (below) is filled with shelf after shelf of well-thumbed books. This photo shows only a small part of the room.

The most beautiful room at Greys Court may well be the drawing room, redesigned in 1765 by Sir Thomas Stapleton for his bride. Bow windows offer stunning views over the gardens, and plasterwork roses, courting doves, bows and arrows on the walls suggest the theme of romantic love. Even here there is the illusion of a room just left for a few moments, with sheet music scattered by the piano and a tea cup left sitting just above the keyboard.

Lord and Lady Brunner’s adjoining bedrooms, bathroom and dressing room offer a peek into the more personal side of their life. Their expressions in a portrait painted in their later years, which hangs in Lady Brunner’s bedroom, demonstrates how devoted they were to one another.

On Location at Greys Court

Greys Court has served as a filming location for Downton Abbey, appearing in season 3 as Eryholme. It was also used in Agatha Christie’s ‘Poirot’ and the Midsomer Murders.

The Gardens at Greys Court

The gardens at Greys are beautiful almost all year round and it is great if you can visit regularly in order to visit to watch the seasons unfold. Depending on the time of year, you may see billows of cherry blossoms hanging off the trees, drifts of daffodils or a myriad of hyacinths blooming in the borders, their scent heavy in the afternoon sunshine. You can walk for hours in the fields surrounding the house and the views over the Chilterns are stunning.

Greys has a rose garden, a cherry garden and an orchard, as well as a prolific kitchen garden. In early spring, the cherry blossoms are breathtaking.

The Wisteria at Greys Court is amazing, and my absolute favourite part of the gardens is the Wisteria Walk in late April and early May.

If you are lucky enough to visit in Wisteria season (usually about April/May) you are definitely in for a treat. The glorious, scented sea of purple is everywhere. Some of the plants date back to the Victorian Era.

As you walk through the paths in the garden, the Wisteria seems to envelop you.

Beyond the gardens, there are extensive grounds perfect for long walks.

Visiting Greys Court

A place you will want to return to again and again, Greys Court definitely fulfils Lady Brunner’s hope that it would be “…a haven of peace and quietness for those in need…”, where “families can rest for a moment together, away for the pressures of present-day living.” We need those kind of places more than ever these days and I look forward to visiting Greys Court again soon.

Greys Court is located in Rotherfield Greys, just outside Henley-on-Thames. Please see the National Trust website for more details and opening times.

My husband and I are National Trust members and visit Greys Court regularly at our own expense. Information is correct to the best of my knowledge at the time of writing. Be sure to check with Greys Court and the National Trust website for opening times, full terms and conditions, and to check prices.

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